Nonspecific activity-related arm pain is characterized by an absence of objective physical findings and symptoms that do not correspond with objective pathophysiology. Arm pain without strict diagnosis is often related to activity, work-related activity in particular, and is often seen in patients with physically demanding work. Psychological factors such as catastrophic thinking, symptoms of d...

In an earlier article [J. Schubert, “On nonspecific evidence,” Int. J. Intell. Syst. 8(6), 711−725 (1993)] we established within Dempster-Shafer theory a criterion function called the metaconflict function. With this criterion we can partition into subsets a set of several pieces of evidence with propositions that are weakly specified in the sense that it may be uncertain to which event a propo...

Traditionally, a subset of patients diagnosed as having idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis had positive results on cellular biopsies (prominent lymphoplasmacytic inflammation), bronchoalveolar lavage lymphocytosis, a clinical response to steroids, and a better long-term prognosis. On review of the lung histopathology, the lesion was characterized by varying degrees of inflammation and fibrosis. This...